


I Wish it Were Me Instead

by TheDevilWithin3



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Depression, Henry Laurens' A+ Parenting, Homophobia, Other, Sexual Content, Verbal Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-19
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 02:42:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23207938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDevilWithin3/pseuds/TheDevilWithin3
Summary: So this is based off of an animatic, but it's not going to be a one-shot. I'm going to just be casually adding to it every once and a while when I have time. My main focus will be on Faceless from now on, but this will be my "break" fic if I, ya know, need a break. The animatic is by spooky vibes, the song is "Class Clown" by Anthony Amorim.SUMMARY: High school is hard, especially when you have a homophobic dad, a teacher who can't mind his business, goofball friends who just want what's best, and a new friend who has a crush on someone else. John Laurens would know. That's his life. Of course, his friends aren't the only ones who mess around. John is known for teasing other students and getting into some fights. That doesn't stop his sister from loving him unconditionally and his friends being there for him.
Relationships: Alexander Hamilton/Elizabeth "Eliza" Schuyler, Alexander Hamilton/John Laurens
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	1. I hope this doesn't freak you out

"Shh, shut up!" 

"Dude! Stop shoving me!" 

"That's my fucking toe, Tommy!" 

"Guys, be quiet..." 

"Can it, Jimmy!"

"He's coming! Everyone shut the fuck up!"

Everyone in the room went deadly silent, and all the students who weren't a apart of the prank weren't exactly sure what was going on. Of course, the Revolutionary Crew was doing their classic first-day prank on their homeroom teacher. The room was dark, the lights turned off and the blinds down. Mr. Washington, their teacher, was going to walk in any moment and the idea was to freak him the fuck out. John had his eye on the door, waiting for the handle to move, daring it to. Then, after what felt like ages, it did. The door slammed open and there revealed a middle-aged man with tan, and he honestly looked like he could take someone in a fight. The crew hesitated to see if they should do the prank, but John had already decided. They all jumped out from the teacher's desk while the lights suddenly flickered on. The teacher almost jumped all the way to the ceiling. 

"Jesus, fucking, Christ!" he exclaimed loudly. The room was silent again except for the prankster group that were all lying on the ground, laughing their asses off. Mr. Washington manged to crack a smile and rolled his eyes. He had been warned of this group. "Alright, alright. Students, everyone get back into their seats or there will be problems." The crew immediately stood up and jumped into their seats, which were conveniently lined near each other. The group of friends shot each other glances, occasionally laughing at something. Mr. Washington was getting the attendance ready when the warning bell rang. 

"Okay, assuming no one is late. I believe we can do attendance?" The whole class nodded. So Mr. Washington went through almost all of the class calling their names, until he got to one of the Revolutionary Crew's names. "Lafayette?" He looked up to see which one of the pranksters was French. A somewhat tall kid for his age with black, poofy hair in a bun raised his hand. 

"Oui, bonjour," the kid grinned. He then shared a glance with the kid to the left of him, who had a bandanna tied around his head and black hair as well. 

"Hercules Mulligan?" 

Lafayette's friend raised his hand. "That's be me, Mister." Mr. Washington continued through the list, then stopped again at Thomas Jefferson. 

"Ah, I know your family. Great people," Mr. Washington observed. Thomas nodded slowly, glancing at a kid with freckles who was staring at his desk. Mr. Washington was surprised at this. The pranksters were now deadly silent. He wondered why. Of course, the kids did. If Mr. Washington knew of the Jefferson's then he'd definitely know of the Laurens. 

"Excuse me," a kid interrupted. He was sitting next to Thomas and Hercules. 

"Uh, yes?" Mr. Washington hesitated. 

"We only have a couple minutes until first period, I advise hurrying up with the attendance." Mr. Washington was taken back by this. This guy had the nerve to tell him how to do his job on the first day. 

"Well..." Mr. Washington blanked. 

"Alexander Hamilton." 

"Yes, next on my list. Well, Alexander, I teach my job and you listen." Alex only nodded but gave an air high-five to John, who was now smiling. "James Madison?" The kid sitting behind Thomas raised his hand and then whispered something into Thomas's ear. "Aaron Burr?" Kid beside Madison raised his hand politely. Mr. Washington guessed that all these kids were friends, or maybe closer than that. All seemed pretty comfortable with themselves. 

Mr. Washington was pretty sure he was done, so he cleared his throat and got all eyes on him. "Alright, my name is Mr. Washington but you can call me Washington." A kid choked out a laugh. It was the kid with freckles and reddish hair who had previously been silent.

"What 'bout Washingmachine?" All the kids in the front row laughed. Washington bit back a growl and casually walked over to the kid. He was on the very edge of the front row. 

"I don't believe I called your name during attendance," Washington stated. The freckled kid just shrugged and leaned back into his chair more, ignoring the warnings his friends were trying to give. "You got a name?" That made the kid stop for a second. 

He seemed to choose his next words wisely. "John," he said slowly. Washington waited for more. "John Laurens." Washington froze. 

"You're Henry's kid?" he asked. John nodded and looked down at his desk again. He was clearly ashamed. "I want to talk to you after the bell rings," Washington concluded. John seemed to have an issue with that and he scrunched his face up and started rubbing the back of his neck. 

"Uh, sir, my father wouldn't really be pleased to know that I'm late to my first class. I can talk after school?" he suggested instead. Washington didn't have time to argue because the bell rang. Everyone else slowly filtered out of the room except for the Revolutionary Crew. They were all waiting for John, who was still looking the teacher in the eye. 

"Right. Yeah, come after class, or whatever break you have," Washington dismissed. He watched at John warily stood up from his desk and his friends clobber around him as they left the room. Something was definitely up. 

John trudged out of the homeroom along with his friends. God, that was so embarrassing. He got stuck in his mind until Hercules nudged his shoulder. He looked up. "What?" His friend looked worried. 

"Oh, we gotta get to class. Alex had algebra with you though," Herc repeated. John looked up at all his friends. Thomas was holding Madison's hand but still staring at him like something was wrong. Lafayette was brushing through his hair, trying to make it look like he didn't care. Aaron was yawning. And Alex, well, Alex was being Alex. The kid has only moved to the school last year, so John wasn't exactly close to him. 

"Sounds good, man," John replied. He offered a smile which no one returned. So he just watched as all his friends parted ways to their first class. Alex then grabbed John's hand despite his defiance and practically dragged him down the hall to their class. 

"Come on, ol' Johnny," Alex teased, "you gotta brighten up! Washingmachine was just worried." John shrugged and let himself be dragged. 

"I don't want him to care though. It's not big deal," John countered. They had arrived at the room 3A. "Ladies first," John smiled. Alex walked in graciously before eyes widening and he gently slapped John's arm. 

"Hey!" John stifled a laugh and took a seat in the back. The classroom was half full. Alex sat beside him. "So," Alex started. "Are you going to see him during study hall?" John shrugged. 

"Who, Mr. Washingmachine?" Alex nodded. "Pff, maybe. Probably not. No biggie, though." Alex didn't really know much of John's home life other than his father was a dick and John deserved so much better. John just didn't feel comfortable with telling Alex everything and his friends respected that. They all knew. Alex had assured him that he didn't take anything personally, but John could've debated on that anytime someone brought up Henry Laurens. Alex rolled his eyes at his friend's response. 

"I think you should see him. Study hall is next period. See him, maybe leave out the jokes," Alex suggested. John mimicked Alex's eye motion. 

"I think you should mind your beeswax. I'mma just do me, Alex," John responded casually. He saw how his friend was eyeing him down. "A'ight, if it makes you happy, I'll stop by for maybe five minutes. Deal?" He couldn't help but blush a little when Alex's face lit up like a Christmas tree. 

"Deal! I'm so glad I'm a good influence on you," Alex grinned. 

So class came and went. Since it was the first day, no one really payed attention and the teacher just spent the whole time introducing everyone. The teacher was a middle-aged woman, Mrs. Washington. Wait. Right before the bell rang John made eye contact with the math teacher and immediately looked away. He leaned over to Alex who was doodling an awful drawing. "Alex," John whispered. His friend looked up. "Mrs. Washington... that's Mr. Washingmachine's wife." Alex's eyes widened. 

"Oh my god, so the guy is married. Maybe they have kids," Alex said slyly, wiggling his brows. John pushed his face away and laughed. 

"Shut it," he laughed.

A minute later the bell rang and John was out the door. His heart was pounding fast and his face was flushed. The whole class he had been blushing whenever Alex shot him a look. That'd never happened before. Sure, John was gay, Alex was bi, but it just didn't seem natural for John to be attracted to one of his buddies. He was knocked out of his thoughts when he caught Washingmachine approaching him with some coffee. John calmed himself and walked in front of the teacher. 

"Mr. Washington," John greeted. "John Laurens, I have a study hall right now, if that works for you." The teacher looked confused before he made the connection. John couldn't tell if his face brightened or actually fell. 

"Right, uh, come into my classroom." So John followed Washington as they walked through the halls. Some kids that were in John's classes last year gave him strange looks, wondering what he'd done to get in trouble on the first day of school already. John eventually recognized his homeroom classroom and went to sit in the exact same seat he'd sat in earlier that morning. Washington looked him up and down as he placed his coffee on his desk and leaned back. 

"Sir," John mumbled. "What did you need?" The teacher just stared blankly at John and the kid kinda felt uncomfortable. He shifted in his seat. 

Then Washington spoke. "Sorry, if I've gotten your nerves up or anything... I just wanted to ask... are you okay?" John actually would've laughed if he couldn't see Washington's face. He was being serious. He actually cared about how John felt. 

"Of course," John replied with a tight smile. "I have no reason not to be other than I have a teacher up my ass." John cringed at his language. He couldn't shut his mouth for one minute. That's what would get him in trouble, his father always said. 

John blanked and only noticed when Washington's eyes narrowed down on him. The next words that came out of the teacher's mouths felt like they were spilling out in slow motion. "I know the truth about your family." 


	2. But I thought I'd just say "Hey"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I know this is supposed to be my side project, but I'm blank for my Faceless story. I will be continuing, just need inspiration. I have time anyway with being quarantined and stuff. 
> 
> Anyone, hope you enjoy!

John's breathing quickened and he tried not to make eye contact with Washington. "I don't know what you mean." It was a classic phrase from the kid. Always lying or joking. Except he wasn't joking. He couldn't when it came to his family. When Washington didn't speak anymore John stood up from the desk. "Look, if this isn't going to be important, I need to get to English." So he did. He left. Washington froze up for some reason. Maybe it was because he saw the look in John's eyes when he mentioned his family. Maybe it's because he noticed how John started shaking. Maybe John didn't realize he was doing all of this, because when he did it no one realized. No one cared. But Washington noticed. And he cared. So he watched John leave his class once more, heading to Professor Knox's class for English. Washington hung out in his doorway, waiting for people to show up for Geometry. Instead three boys from his homeroom walked by, whispering nonsense. Well, it would've heard like nonsense if Washington didn't pay attention, but he did. It was Lafayette, Hercules, and Burr. 

"Maybe we should let that Washington guy in on some of the stuff," Burr suggested to the two boys. Hercules immediately shook his head but Lafayette had a thoughtful look on his face. "It wouldn't be a bad idea," Burr continued. "He seems to care. I heard that Mrs. Washington is really nice. Maybe they could help?" 

"Oui. But we would have to tell John," Lafayette said. Hercules still looked uncomfortable. 

"I don't think we should even bring it up. He seemed to go completely frozen when Washington asked about it. Let it cool over, then come back to it." The three boys stopped at a locker just outside Washington's room. It must've been Burr's because he opened it and started scrounging through it. His two friends stared intensely at him until he pulled out a notebook that was pink. Maybe it wasn't his. 

"Aaron, what're you doing?" Hercules asked his friend. Burr rolled his eyes and closed the locket. 

"It's my girlfriend's. She wanted me to get it for her. We have study hall next class together," he explained. Lafayette gasped and Hercules grinned a little. 

"Right. How is the madam Theodosia?" Lafayette asked. Washington knew he shouldn't be doing this, but they _were_ outside his door. Not his fault. Burr shifted uncomfortable at the question. 

"I can tell you later," he responded. Then he turned to Hercules. "What do you think of Alexander?" Hercules shrugged and nodded to Lafayette. 

"Ask him." 

"I can't. He loves everyone. He's French." All the friends nodded in agreement. "I personally just don't like the kid. Bit obnoxious. He seems to make John uncomfortable too. That's always a big no." Hercules nodded again. When they had met Alex over the summer he seemed pretty chill, which is why they even gave him a chance. John didn't really like really loud and outgoing people. It gave him a bit anxiety attack sometimes. But as Alex got more used to the gang, he started speaking his mind more, speaking without thinking. That was also a thing John didn't like. He didn't mind being criticized, that was the great thing about him. But being picked at until there was nothing, he hated that. He was used to that too much. 

"While I cannot say I hate the Alex, I cannot say I adore either, either," Lafayette said, earning himself two surprised looks. "Oui, it is a true. A french man can dislike one. It's just, remember last month when Alex almost made John cry?" Hercules nodded sadly while Burr's face got angry. 

"Wait, when? I wasn't there!" he protested angrily. Even though Burr was the one of the crew who had the least emotions, he was the one who really cared for John the most. He wouldn't comfort him or anything like Herc or Laf, but he would make sure John's mental care was alright. 

Lafayette bringing up last month caught Washington's attention. Maybe the jokester gang wasn't as great as everyone thought they were. 

Hercules hesitated. "Last month we were all joking about swimming in the lake on the weekends once school started. Of course, it was just a joke, but we didn't exactly consider John's feelings in this one. It didn't really end well..." Lafayette thought back to that day. It was an absolute disaster. 

John was sweating in his sweater, but he wasn't about to take it off. He didn't care if he was wearing jeans and a hoodie while everyone else was shirtless and wearing shorts. The only reason why John even had a tan at this point was because he was part Puerto Rican. He watched as Hercules arm wrestled Madison and won. He smiled when he saw Jefferson reach his hand to rub Madison's arm after he lost. They were cute. The only kids in the school who were out and proud to be gay. John wished... 

His attention was soon interrupted by Alex arriving with a girl. A pretty girl. John recognized her. Eliza Schuyler. Her family was nice, rich. Like his. Except they didn't had a shitty dad. "Alex," Lafayette greeted. He stood up and hugged Alex, then kissed Eliza's hand. 

"Hey, Laf," Alex chuckled. "This is Eliza, she's my friend." The Schuyler sister blushed and saw down beside Hercules, who was cracking his knuckles for a rematch with Madison soon. 

Jefferson barely acknowledged Eliza, he just laid his head back on Madison's lap and closed his eyes. "Y'all know when Burr's getting here?" Alex scowled at the question. John looked up at his questioningly. Alex just sat down beside Eliza and leaned into her, which seemed too close for John's liking.

"Burr ain't coming. Texted the chat saying he was off with his girlfriend," Alex explained. Everyone seemed to roll their eyes at that response. Burr had been skipping out a bunch to hang out with his girlfriend, but John didn't really mind. He was glad that his friend found someone. He was a bit upset that Alex had invited someone without telling the group. 

John leaned against the tree behind him and shot Lafayette a look that he immediately recognized. Lafayette cleared his throat. "So, Alexander." Their friend looked up. "Why didn't you tell us you were inviting this lovely lady?" Everyone else seemed to take the hint and soon all eyes were on Alex and Eliza. 

Even Jefferson got involved. "Yeah, last time I checked this was a Revolutionary Crew meetup only," he stated. Eliza blushed and looked down, clearly embarrassed. Alex only scoffed. 

"It's fine, guys. I can bring my gir-my friend," Alex caught himself. But John heard him the first time. 

"Alex, if Eliza is your girlfriend just tell us," John said. Alex found himself blushing just like Eliza. He quickly moved the attention from him. 

"I will when I get a girlfriend," he said. "I was thinking, maybe we should find something to do during the school year on the weekends? Like a hangout or something." Everyone seemed to like that. Everyone was blasting out suggestions soon enough. 

"A restaurant meet up!" 

"Tommy no."

"With mac and cheese!" 

"Tommy no! Maybe a park??" 

"Madison no." 

"Perhaps someone's house?" 

"Maybe mine!" 

"Mine's bigger!"

"I have the xbox!" 

"Not mine!" 

"Guys!" Lafayette screamed. "What about a lake meetup or something? It's going to get hot soon. Swimming on the weekends would be a great way to cool down." The second it was suggested everyone fell silent and looked at John, who had already paled at the thought. 

"Maybe not," he mumbled quietly. Alex shared a look with Eliza. 

"Why not? We all love swimming," he pushed. He saw that everyone was glaring at him but he didn't care. "Can you not swim? I'm not very good either, I don't like it, but it seems like fun." 

"Alexander," Eliza interrupted. "Just suggest something else. 

"Eliza, no. Come on, everyone likes swimming. Don't just ruin it 'cause you don't like it." Alex just kept on pushing. It reminded John of his father. God, how he hated people who were like this. But John couldn't speak up for himself. His throat felt closed, plugged. Full of water. Just like that night. 

Jefferson noticed the tension and tried to get Alex to shut up. "Hamilton, shut up!" 

"If we want to go swimming, then let's go swimming!"

"Hamilton stop!" That was Madison. By then everyone was trying to get Alex to lay off of John, but he wouldn't. He kept on jabbing. He had actually almost approached John, but luckily Eliza pulled him away. 

"Alex, stop! Let's just leave," she pleaded. At her cry Alex stopped for a moment, before looking back at John. He had tears in his eyes and he was shaking. 

"John," Alex said quietly. But he was actually shoved away by Jefferson, who was now standing in between of the two. 

"Fuck off Hamilton, we'll talk about this later." 

And they did. Alex left and he didn't speak to the rest of the gang that whole week. Until John texted him, saying that he forgave Alex and he didn't know. No one else brought it up. Especially not to Burr, who would've murdered Alex. 

Washington felt sick. The group that he had been warned about was nothing more than a bunch of troubled kids. What made him feel even worse was that he had pressured John during class. He had pressured him to come see him during his free time. The three kids eventually walked away when the next period bell rang. But what happened next startled him. A kid ran past Washington, very clearly distressed and crying. Then Washington's recognized the red hair and baggy clothes. John. 


	3. I know we've barely spoken out of school

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the inactivity! I would've thought that this quarantine thing would've given me more time for writing, but I haven't gotten much motivation with being stuck inside. But I thought I should definitely work on one piece today, I owe you guys that.

Washington knew his class was starting soon, kids had started filing into his class, but he didn't care. He wouldn't get fired. So he apologized when he bumped into someone and quickly followed John. He was hoping that the kid maybe would stop at a water fountain or go into a bathroom, but he actually went to the office, where a woman was standing there, looking quite frantic. Washington made eye contact with the secretary in the office. His coworker only shrugged but had a sad look on her face. Washington walked into the office and stood against his colleague's desk. He watched as John spoke to the other woman in the waiting area.

"Who's the woman?" Washington asked. The secretary ignored him. Wow. Such manners. Some of the other teachers didn't quite appreciate Washington, but lucky the vice principal did. Phillip Schuyler walked over to Washington and placed his hand on his shoulder. 

"What's this about, George?" He smiled. Washington nodded towards John. 

"The kid worries me, Phillip," he explained. "Overheard his friends talking about some deep stuff." Phillip looked confused for a moment, as if he didn't quite hear his friend right. 

"John Laurens?" he clarified. Washington nodded. "I-uh, you sure? That group seems pretty cheery to me." 

Washington shook his head and looked at John's face, which was wet from tears. John looked like he wanted to get out of this place. "Do you not see the kid? He's bawling his eyes out from something." His colleague leaned closer and widened his eyes. 

"Holy crap, you're right," he said, amazed. "His mom came and asked if she could pick him up for something. Didn't clarify. Maybe I should make myself known." So Phillip walked out of the office and into the waiting room. He noticed that John immediately stiffened when he approached them. His mother wiped her eyes and looked up. Eleanor Laurens was a nice woman, but she was definitely stressed out. She would snap at people when she didn't need to and she would fret over the tiniest things. 

"Mr. Schuyler," Eleanor forced a smile. "I was just picking up John, I called earlier?" Phillip nodded and looked to John, who was leaning against the wall, purposely trying to make himself look occupied. 

"Of course, you can pick him up. I just had a few questions for you and John?" His student tensed even more. Phillip's heart tugged. He always thought that John's group was cheerful and happy. They were known for their jokes. But Phillip also knew that John was the son of Henry Laurens, the bastard himself. Almost everyone who took a job at the school hated Henry Laurens. Some of them let that hate grow to John, but most of them adored him. Always making sure he was okay. Guess they didn't look close enough. Phillip made a mental note to talk to his girls about making friends with John and his group. 

Eleanor cleared her throat and tugged at her shirt. "Are you sure we need to do this now? I can call you later tonight," she offered anxiously. Phillip didn't really want them to go, but he could tell they wouldn't get anywhere. So he agreed. Phillip went back to the office and dismissed his friend to continue his job. He did. Washington went through his day and didn't see any of John's friends. He also noticed that John didn't come back that day. Towards the end of the school day, when there was about fifteen minutes of the day left, a kid walked into his class. Normally Washington's room was empty because everyone was at study hall in the lunchroom. He looked closer and saw it was Lafayette, with Burr trailing behind. Soon enough, the whole crew was there. 

Washington stood up and went to the front of his desk, then leaned against it. He waited for the students to start talking, but none of them did. Washington sighed. "I'm guessing you want to know if I know where John is?" They all perked up. 

"Yes!" 

"What happened?"

"He hasn't returned any of our calls or texts!" 

"Is he okay?" 

"He just left!" 

Washington silenced the group by putting his hand up. He looked at the kids. He noticed how one of them were missing. Hamilton. He wondered if the group even noticed. He pushed past that thought. They were friends, of course they did. Before Washington could speak Burr interrupted him. 

"We know where Hamilton is," he said calmly. "I noticed how you were staring at us." The rest of the group shushed him and the attention was back at Washington. 

"Right, uh, so," he stuttered. These kids were intimidating together. "His mother picked him up during third period." Everyone in the room was silent. Then Jefferson swore. 

"Apologies for my language, but fuck." His friends tried not to smile. Jefferson turned to everyone, leaving Washington out of the conversation. "It's Martha. After school we have to go to this house." With that, they all just left. Washington just leaned on his desk, confused. He had never met any students so confident such as the Revolutionary Crew. He sighed and reminded himself that he needed some more coffee for the drive home. So he grabbed his mug from his desk and was walking out the doorway when a girl stopped him. She had darkish-brown hair, light tan skin, and a big smile on her face. 

"Oh, ah," Washington stumbled. He backed up back into his room as the girl walked onward towards him. "Can I help you?" Kids these days. The girl tilted her head and looked at Washington's desk. 

"Yes you can," she smiled, her attention snapped back to him. "You are Mr. Washington? You're not just hanging out in this room?" Washington quickly shook his head and gave a confused look. Something about this girl seemed familiar, but he couldn't quite place it. 

"I assure you this is my room..." he mumbled. "So what do you need?" The girl must've noticed how rude she was being and straightened her posture. 

"Sorry, sir, I'm just a bit stressed out right now," she explained. "I'm Peggy Schuyler." She smiled again and Washington's head was spinning. Phillip's daughter, of course. 

"Right. You father is vice principal." 

The girl, Peggy nodded. "I'm just here because a friend of mine isn't going to be at school for the next four weeks, and I wanted to see if she was in your class to pick up some work." Washington nodded and turned to his desk, he looked at the names of his students. 

"Name?" 

"Martha Laurens." 

Washington froze. "Henry's other kid?" He saw how Peggy's smile fell and her face darkened. 

"You know she'd appreciate it if not everyone associated her with her family," she pointed out, the happiness gone. Washington swallowed. Gee, he would have to talk to Phillip about his kids. He nodded slowly and looked through his papers again. He didn't see any Martha Laurens. 

"She's not in my class, not the right Laurens," he tried to joke. Peggy's smile didn't return but she didn't seem quite as angry anymore. 

"Oh, it John in your class?" she asked, walking over. Her bag swayed on her shoulder and she almost dropped it. She scolded it quietly and placed it down. "Sorry, overfilling with work." Washington didn't try to argue that it was only the first day of school. He just nodded again. 

"Yeah, John's in my class. Why?" 

Peggy shrugged and pulled out her phone. She didn't reply to the question until she shot off a text to someone. Then she looked up and did a tight smile. "Can I have his work then? He's not going to be going to school for while either." That got Washington's attention. John, not being at school. He just knew that John's friends would go wild at that news. 

Washington felt like he was in the dark. He pulled out some papers and started marking them with John's name. He wrote down some notes too for aid. Then he handed them to Peggy who had her bag ready to take them. "Here you go. What we'll be doing for the next four weeks." At this Peggy made a sour face and Washington resisted a groan. "What?" 

"I mean, Martha may be back sooner, but John may miss a few months." That almost made Washington's eyes pop out, but he remained calm. He dragged his hand across his face and rubbed his eyes. Then he looked directly at Peggy. 

"What's going on? His mother dismissed him earlier today. What's wrong?" he asked directly. He just needed to know. Peggy shifted on her feet, clearly debating on of she should tell. 

"There family's going through a rough patch right now," Peggy said. Then she rolled her eyes. "It's politics season." She said it as if Washington knew what it meant. And he sort of did. 

"I'm guessing Henry wants them on a business trip or something?" 

Peggy nearly laughed, but didn't. Washington couldn't have been more wrong. He didn't know that. "Yeah, something like that," Peggy said sarcastically. She had some nerve. Washington was about to retort when two girls tumbled into his classroom. They all reminded him of Phillip Schuyler.

"Peggy! What are you doing in Mr. Washington's room?" the taller girl asked. She walked over and gently tugged at Peggy's arm. The shorter one, but still taller than Peggy, sighed and looked at Washington. 

"Sorry, she can be an inconvenience sometimes," she said. "Peggy, come on. Dad's waiting for us." Peggy pulled out of the girl's reach. 

"Wait, Eliza, I'm getting work for John and Martha." The two girls stopped. Washington guessed that these were also Phillip's children. All sisters, clearly. 

Eliza, the one who had smiled at Washington, had brown hair that went to her shoulders. She was wearing a short skirt and a tank top. The taller girl, which Washington guessed was Angelica, because Phillip talked about his children so much, has a hoodie and jeans. Eliza whispered something in Peggy's ear and the two were off soon enough. Angelica stayed and eyed Washington. He hadn't had had her in any classes yet. 

"Mr. Washington," Angelica started. "What do you know of John Laurens and his friends?" Washington wasn't really surprised by the question. Maybe she had some beef with them, he didn't really care. Washington shrugged and leaned against his desk again. 

"I know that they're good kids. Little rascals." Angelica laughed a little. "But really, they're okay. I think they just need a little guidance." Angelica's face shifted into an emotion Washington couldn't figure out. 

"I'm not friends with them," she stated. Washington nodded. They didn't seem like they would want any girls in their group. "Eliza, my sister, she's dating Hamilton." Washington widened his eyes. 

"Is he really?" 

Angelica nodded and laughed bitterly. "Don't know why. He doesn't seem that great." Washington didn't know what to say. He didn't know much of the kids that much. Angelica then smiled and looked down to the ground. "Sorry, you didn't need to know that." Washington shook his head. 

"It's my job to make sure students are safe," he said. "It's good that I'm getting involved." Angelica looked at him and shrugged. 

"I'm guessing you want to know more about them," she said. Washington knew she was talking about the Revolutionary Crew. He nodded. "Well, let's started with Hamilton. People who tolerate him call him Hamilton, friends call him Alexander, Eliza calls him Alex. He's had an interesting past. Shouldn't be telling you but I am. Has this fear of storms, hates hurricanes. Don't joke around with them, he may literally kill you." Angelica managed to crack a smile at that. "Did it once, didn't end well. Overall he's okay, can be pretty inconsiderate of others feelings... I just don't want him to hurt Eliza, or John." Washington coughed. 

"John?" 

Angelica had a mischievous smile. "Well, both Hamilton and John are into dudes. Hamilton's bi, John's gay. It's probably shitty of me outing them like that, pardon my language, but I feel like I need to." Washington tilted his head. "You seem like someone that wants to help. You need to know everything." Washington realized that Angelica was an alright kid, and he definitely needed to talk to Phillip about personal boundaries. 

"Alright... tell me more." 

But the bell rang and Washington cursed to himself. Yet Angelica just nodded at the bell and stayed. "Peggy and Eliza will probably check every classroom until they leave, we have time. Next... let's do Jefferson. Again, same with Hamilton, people who tolerate him call him Jefferson. Friends call him Thomas and sometimes Tommy. It's cute, sort of. He's mostly alright, I mean, he can be a dick at times. He has hit on me multiple of times... too much information, uh, he's dating James Madison. Jefferson has no issue with anyone, not homophobic, but give him an issue to fight on and he will. His family's great, as you probably know. Big name. Uh, James Madison, people call him whatever. Jefferson calls him Jimmy, sometimes the others will, but definitely not John." 

Washington looked at her expectantly. When she didn't say more he got worried. She was quiet. "What? Why doesn't he?" Angelica looked almost guilty. 

"I'm sharing so much information, I can't tell you this thing. It's really personal... I'm not even supposed to know about it." Washington knew he shouldn't push so he didn't. "James Madison has nothing to worry about, he's shy sometimes but can be real tough. He's fine. Next there's Lafayette and Hercules Mulligan, they're dating, I think... Lafayette is French and rich, he's cool. Hercules wants to be a tailor when he grows up but he's currently just focusing on his school work. Not much family issues with them. People in their group don't have much time for their own issues with John... John really needs help, Mr. Washington." Angelica was looking up at the teacher, who already knew this. 

"I'll help him, Angelica," he promised. The girl smiled again and continued. 

"There's Burr. I don't understand how anyone can like him. I absolutely despise him. His friends like him though, so I guess they see something. All I really know about him is that he's really protective of his friends. Tell him that someone's giving John issues and he can get them suspended for a week. It's freaky, really. But he's known John the longest. He's not the closest, but he's been there for him. It's cute, nice friendship. Of course, there's John Laurens. I don't know much about him really. I know his family has issues, and he needs to work them out, I just wish he would go to his friends, they could help. I think his mom is alright, sometimes snappy, but she definitely isn't an issue. Martha Laurens, she's Peggy's best friend. Inseparable. So I've learned quite a bit about the Laurens family if not John. Henry Laurens is scary, Peggy says. She rarely goes over to Martha's house, but when she does she always regrets it. She never sees John, maybe he's out or hiding in his room, either is a smart decision. I'm just worried that there's so much more to him than people know." 

Washington knew that feeling. But hearing more and more about John's family made him even more worried. "Angelica, you mentioned John was gay, right?" The girl nodded. "Henry Laurens is known for being a great republican, and makes pretty homophobic remarks." Angelica processed this. "Do you think..."

Angelica beat him to the punch. "No!" she exclaimed. Then she quieted. "I... I never thought of it that way..."

The two sat in silence. 

Peggy and Eliza quickly burst into the room, eyes wide. "Angelica!" Peggy squealed when she saw her sister. She had tears in her eyes. Immediately Washington was on standby, he noticed the tension in the room. Peggy couldn't speak anymore, she just bolted from the room. Angelica's eyes widened as she reached for her other sister, who looked like she'd just seen a ghost. 

"Eliza!" she shouted. "What's happening? What's wrong?" Eliza just blinked and wiped her eyes. She looked at Washington, who was staring her down, then back at Angelica who was frantic. 

"I-" Eliza opened her mouth but froze. Then she swallowed. "... M-We just got a call... Martha Laurens is dead." Washington's blood went cold and Angelica froze. 

"What?" 

"Peggy got a call from John... Dad's already on his way to the hospital." 

All Washington could think about is how John called Peggy. John's sister was dead. Dead. The word replayed in his mind before he snapped into action. "I'm driving you guys to the hospital. Come on." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :0 
> 
> Oh no, Martha! 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoyed this very interesting chapter. Thought I should introduce the Schuyler sisters. If anyone's confused on ages, here they are: 
> 
> John is a sophomore.  
> Lafayette is also a sophomore.  
> So is Hercules.  
> Burr is a junior.  
> As is Jefferson and Madison.  
> Alexander is a freshman.  
> Martha Laurens is a sophomore (thought I'd have her be the same age as her brother).  
> Angelica is a junior.  
> Peggy is a freshman.  
> Eliza is a sophomore. 
> 
> All pretty close for ages. Any clarifying questions ask away! I'll try to answer.


	4. But it seems I've grown attached

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just the summer before the chaotic school year, taken place a week after the incident with Alexander Hamilton pushing too far.

“Peggy called and asked if she could come over,” Martha called out to her mother, who was wiping down the sink after a cooking disaster. Martha glared at her brother as he rolled his eyes and continued to scroll through his phone. “You don’t have to have an issue with my friends,” she snapped. Her brother made a loud sigh as if talking to his family required a deep amount of work. He then placed his phone in his pocket and straightened up on the couch. 

“I don’t have an issue with Margarita,” John replied. “It’s just that I invited the boys over. We don’t need some eighth grader ruining our plans.” Martha bit back from correcting her brother with how old Peggy was. She was technically a freshman, well, she was going to be when school started. But Martha didn’t retort anything, knowing that John was normally really nice towards her friends. It’s just that a week ago he had a fight with one of his newer friends, Alexander Hamilton. Martha had to admit, she didn’t really enjoy his company either. He wasn’t as playful as the rest of John’s friends, and he didn’t know when he was pushing the line. 

Martha instead stood up from her spot on the couch and walked into the kitchen, where she found her mother getting a glass of water. “Can she come over?” she asked again. Eleanor Laurens swallowed another sip of the water before putting the glass cup down gently and looking down at her daughter. 

“Marty, you know I adore Peggy. She’s very nice. But with what’s going on with John, I don’t think it’s the right time. Maybe tomorrow,” she responded sweetly. Martha nearly lost it there. It was as if their sibling rivalry was a race, and she was constantly coming in second unwillingly. It was like she never ever got a chance. Martha couldn’t really get mad at her mother though. She knew who was really in charge. Henry Laurens. 

So Martha just silently sulked out of the kitchen, heading towards the stairs to her room, when the front door slammed open. Martha almost flinched. _Almost._ She knew better than that. Sadly her brother didn’t and he nearly fell off the couch, dropping his phone. Hopefully it wasn’t broken.

“Martha,” Henry greeted his daughter. He had his hands full with his work, papers nearly falling out. He placed them on the table near the door and immediately his eyes went to John, trying to get up discreetly. It didn’t work. “Jack.” Henry’s voice immediately dropped, and there was venom behind it. It was always like that. Martha hated it, but it was just the way their life was. 

John’s head shot up and his eyes panicked. “Father.” His voice was surprisingly steady to anyone else who didn’t know what was happening. But Martha did. This had to have been one of the worst performances her brother had done so far. His hands were shaking and his hair was messy. “You’re home early.” 

Henry kicked off his shoes and placed them neatly on the shoe rack, ignoring Martha who was standing just beside him. “The meeting was quicker than I expected. I got the raise.” Eleanor quickly came out of the kitchen with a forced smile on her face and lightly hugged her husband, kissing him on the cheek. 

“I’m so happy for you, honey,” she congratulated. Her husband only shoved her off him, and walked closer to John, who clearly didn’t get the hint that he should’ve stood up by then. 

“I was thinking, since I got my raise, we should eat out today. How about sushi?” Henry was staring right at John, who swallowed and looked down at his fumbling hands. 

John’s voice was quiet, “You three can go, I don’t really like seafood…” Martha looked at her father, whose face had a satisfied smile. She wanted to yell at him. Everyone knew that John hated seafood ever since the fight they had four years ago. John hated anything that reminded him of water, other than actual water for drinking. Henry had purposely chosen to get sushi, just so John could feel left out. 

Henry’s smile faded when Eleanor gently tapped him on the arm, as a warning. Even though Henry hated his family pretty much, he had somewhat of a soft spot for his wife, just a little. The oldest Laurens cleared his throat and tried to look upset. “Right, I really wish you would come John.” Henry’s voice had a threatening tone to it, so it was clear that he didn’t want his son to come. 

“It’s alright,” John said hoarsely. “I’ll occupy myself.” Henry couldn’t resist a little smirk. He clapped his hands and looked at Martha. 

“You love sushi, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it,” he stated. “Well, it’s almost 4:30, we should start going. John, don’t have anyone over.” Again, the threatening tone was there. So once John’s family left, he picked up his phone. It wasn’t going to be pretty. They’d planned this night for a while, having to cancel it because of his dick dad wouldn’t go over well. Especially with Alex. 

As Martha stepped out of the house, she resisted the urge to look back. Even though they were siblings, Martha and John had a stronger relationship than others. They were like a real family. So once everyone got in the car and buckled up, Martha pulled out her phone and texted John. 

< \-- _im sorry :(_

\-- > _dont be. Its fine. I hope you have a good dinner_

< \-- _you still going to have the gang over?_

\-- > _i probably shouldn’t. He may shoot me_

It was supposed to be a joke, but Martha shouldn’t help but shutter at the thought. Their father did have guns, and he had threatened it before. God, their lives were fucked up. Martha closed her phone, choosing not to respond to her brother’s crude humor. She just had to enjoy their dinner and she’d come back to her brother. Her family. 

**Revolutionary Crew**

John <\-- _Sorry guys, we gonna have to cancel tonight…_

Laf --> _MON AMIE WHY_

Herc --> _What shit thing did he do?_

Burr --> _I can’t believe this_

Jefferson --> _You’re joking… y’all gotta be jokin_

Madison --> _We’ve planned this forever_

Alex --> _What’s the deal?_

John <\-- _Long story short… my dad took my mom and sis out for sushi and pretty much threatened me not to have friends over. I dont wanna take the chances_

Burr --> _Are you alright?_

John <\-- _M fine_

Herc --> _This is such a classic thing. He ruins good things_

Alex --> _May I ask what you guys are talking about?_

John froze. Alex still didn’t know much about his home life. He didn’t really want him to find out about his home life over text… that just sounded so, unreal. 

John <\-- _Nothing to worry about. My father’s being a dick, thats all_

With that, John closed out of the conversation. He knew he wasn’t thinking straight from last week. Even though he said he forgave Alex, John really didn’t. It wasn’t like he could hate Eliza, especially since her sister was his sister’s best friend. Sometimes life was really unfair. 

Instead of checking his friends’ conversations, he texted someone else. 

<\-- _you eating dinner rn?_

Of course, John didn’t get a text back. He got a phone call. He accepted it with a smile on his face. “Hello there,” he grinned. 

“Hey buddy, how’s it going?” John always felt better when he connected with one of his friends from South Carolina. Even though he didn’t really spend a lot of his childhood there, he still made friends when he was younger. One of those being Nathanael Greene. 

“It’s better now that I’m talking to you,” John replied. Greene was one of those people who didn’t care if John flirted with him, despite Greene being straight and having a girlfriend. 

“You calling for a reason or just to harass my time with my girl?” John lost his momentum at that question. He always felt like he was a burden for some people, and he hated that feeling. Greene must’ve sensed his mistake. “Not that talking to you isn’t great, it is. You’re like my brother, but is something wrong?” 

John cleared his throat quietly. “No,” he said quickly. “It’s fine, you’re busy with Angie.” John heard Greene chuckle. 

“I’m not busy with Angie. I’m busy with Maggie,” Greene correctly, clearly holding back a laugh. “It’s a’ight, she doesn’t take it personally. I won’t expect you to pay attention to girls, that ain’t your thing.” John blushed and leaned against the couch. He felt much better. 

“Well tell Maggie that I’m sorry for forgetting her name, even though we’ve spoken like ten times before…” John apologized. 

Greene mumbled something that couldn’t be heard from the phone, then heard a laugh that sounded much like a girl. “Aight,” Greene was back on the phone. “She says it’s fine, but she’ll get you back one day. Maybe when you come visit before summer ends?” 

John felt his throat close. “About that,” he said slowly. “I don’t think my dad’s going to let me fly down this time.” John was pretty sure he felt his friend deflate at that. “I really wish I could,” he added quickly. “But you know how he is…” He heard shuffling from the phone and was that a sniffle? “Nathan?” 

“I’m here.” The reply was muffled. “It’s alright, I know how your dad is… it’s just I haven’t seen you in a year, and y’all what keeps me sane sometimes.” John heard how his voice wavered, and he immediately felt guilty. After John left, Greene found it hard to make friends. That was until after four years of John leaving. Greene had found a small gang of people who were really nice. John sometimes wished he could join his old friend, but John also liked where he was. With his new friends. 

“I’m really sorry, Nathan,” John swallowed. “You know if I could I would go. But with him there ain’t no way out.” John felt some tears prick his eyes and he wiped them away. “I’m awfully sorry…” Then John heard a beep and pulled the phone away. The call had ended. Greene hung up on him. 

Nathanael didn’t mean to close his phone, he really didn’t. But he freaked. Hearing that his best friend couldn’t visit him that year, it scared him. He had great friends, he had a great girlfriend, but none of them were John Laurens. 

“Are you alright, Nathan?” Greene turned his head and saw Maggie now leaned up against the pillows, the movie paused. Her sympathetic eyes waiting for his response. Greene wiped his eyes and placed his phone on the stand. He crawled on the bed and wrapped an arm around Maggie, then kissed her head. 

“Of course,” he replied with a fake smile, his voice scratchy. “Let’s finish the movie.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't expecting to have Nathanael Greene and his made up girlfriend in this story, but it seemed fitting for John to have an old pal from his childhood to help him when his new friends couldn't. I enjoy writing with from Greene's view because in most fics he's not really given a main personality, so it gives me a little freedom with his character. 
> 
> You will see more of his personality in the future, whether it's in the present or the past :D
> 
> (also pardon my french but johns father can suck on a dick)


	5. To the thought of you

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha... I totally lied when I said I would update this two nights ago on my other fic... I completely got sidetracked. 
> 
> But hey! I can't be the only one who's excited for the fucking Hamilton movie that's coming out July 3rd, on Disney+!! FIFTEEN MONTHS EARLIER THAN THE OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE! :D

Nathanael Greene wasn’t doing so good in life after his best friend moved away. Being an eight year old without any friends wasn’t a good way to go into third grade, but four years later and he was in third grade with the greatest group of friends he could’ve asked for. If only John was there… he missed him a lot. They still communicated a lot, and soon, they would be able to text every day since Greene was getting a phone sometime that year. 

Now Greene was a sophomore, having the time of his life. He was really popular in school and he was dating the girl of his dreams. Meeting Maggie Thompson was a mistake, no, literally, he ran into her his first year of high school. Pretty cliche, but it was love. Maggie was a really sweet girl, her hair was dyed red when Greene met her, so he didn’t really know her true hair color, but he loved her. Her face was really pretty, his hazel eyes glistening. Her skin was clear, and she had some freckles on her cheeks and nose. Maybe Greene fell in love with Maggie because they were meant to be, or because she reminded him of someone. 

“Yo, Greene, want to go on a double date with Ally and I?” White asked at the end of their second to last period. Next class they had a study hall together. Greene gathered his things and grinned. 

“Why? You want us to out cute you guys like last time?” Greene laughed. It became a weekly thing for Greene and White to go on double dates with their girlfriend. John White was actually Greene’s first friend… again, he reminded him of someone. 

White laughed back and continued to joke with Greene all the way to the cafeteria, where they spent most of their freetime. On their way there they ran into their other buddy, Henry Knox, who was walking with one of his friends who Greene didn’t know that well, Tench Tilghman. 

“Hey Nathan,” Knox greeted with a small smile. Knox was a great friend, but he wasn’t very social with Greene or White. He also refused to call Greene “Greene,” which is what everyone called him. He would also call John White, “John,” because he thought colors for names were weird. 

Greene smiled slightly back and was about to pass the two when Knox grabbed him by the arm gently. 

“I actually wanted to ask you something,” he said, looking at Tilghman, who then walked into the cafeteria. Then Knox gave a look to White, telling him to also leave, which he did hesitantly. Greene was pulled away from the cafeteria entrance and was dragged into the boy’s bathroom. 

“What do you want?” Greene asked suspiciously, noticing how Knox was dragging him into a stall. “What’s so secret?” Suddenly Knox pinned Greene’s arm on the wall near the stall door and grinded against him a little. Oh yeah, that was another thing. Greene and Knox were sort of having a small fling. “Seriously?” Greene asked with a smile. “You want to do this now?” 

Knox didn’t reply, he just continued to grind against his friend and kiss him on a neck a little. It was a very secretive fling, considering no one knew the two were bi, well, Greene was bi, Knox was gay. But no one knew, especially Greene’s girlfriend. Did he feel bad for cheating on her? Of course, but it was already done. He may come off as a dick to some people, but he means well… it’s also another factor that Knox was hot as fuck. 

“I missed you yesterday,” Knox muttered against Greene’s shoulder. They never went further than just grinding against each other and kissing, neither were ready for that yet, but it was still something they both enjoyed. “You want to come over later tonight?” Knox asked with narrowed eyes, releasing Greene’s arm. 

Greene looked up and blushed a little. “I have a double date with White and his girlfriend,” he replied quietly. Knox didn’t care that he was dating someone, but he was still always disappointed when he didn’t get as much time with his friend as he wanted. Suddenly the bathroom door opened and the two boys stilled. They hadn’t gotten caught by anyone, but that didn’t mean they still weren’t cautious. They were muttering then someone slamming their fist on the sink counter. Greene immediately knew who it was. Francis Kinloch. He was a homophobic dick. No one really liked him, but he was strong and tall, so people were scared of him, which was even worse. Once they heard Francis leaving Knox immediately pushed himself away from Greene and quickly opened the stall door, bolting from the bathroom. Which left Greene frizzled and very, very uncomfortable. He stood up fully and walked out of the stall, only to find that Francis had reentered and was staring at him. 

“Hey, Greene,” he said coolly. 

“Hey,” Greene replied back. He slid his way past the taller boy and finally went into the cafeteria, where White was sitting with two girls, Maggie and Ally. 

“Hey, sweetie,” Maggie smiled, kissing Greene’s cheek as he sat beside her. “We were just talking about that double date you failed to inform me about.” She was joking, but Greene still felt guilty. Of all things, he felt guilty about this… other than him cheating on her. 

“Sorry, Mags, White just told me about it last class and then I was pulled away from Knox. You know how he is,” Greene explained. White nodded and then looked at Greene. 

“What did he want anyway?” he asked. “He never talks to me anymore.” Greene shrugged. 

“Just some shit about a homework assignment. Wanted to do it in secret cause he doesn’t want to be lookin’ dumb,” Greene lied easily. White just shrugged back and started snacking on some leftover lunch. 

“So about that double date,” Maggie started, then shot Greene an actual glare. “It seemed as if you forgot that we were going to watch a movie tonight together.” A sudden pit filled Greene’s gut. He always forgot about things like this, especially since he started his thing with Knox. 

Greene cleared his throat and laughed forcefully. “Right… I didn’t forget, it just slipped my mind,” he said casually. Then leaned over to his girlfriend and kissed her on the lips. “You can choose the movie, I’ll bring some snacks.” 

  
  


So he did. Greene showed up to his girlfriend’s house, greeted her family with a kind smile and slipped into her room with her. He revealed the snacks he'd brought. Some soda, chips, and lots of candy. “For the greatest girl in the world,” he said softly. Then they started the movie. Maggie had a classic Disney movie, yet Greene hadn’t really watched any Disney as a kid, so it wasn’t exactly classic for him. It was a movie about a fox and a dog, then some farmer with a gun. It was interesting, but Maggie seemed to enjoy it so he wrapped his arm around her neck and cuddled her close. Halfway through the movie Greene’s phone dinged. He wasn’t going to answer it, but Maggie had suddenly gotten up to use the bathroom, so he reached over on the nightstand and picked up the phone. It was a text message from his best friend, John. 

\--> _you eating dinner rn?_

Greene looked at the time, then the message. It was almost five… maybe they started the movie a bit earlier than they wanted to. Whatever. Instead of texting back Greene called. 

“Hey buddy, how’s it going?” Greene hesitantly said when he saw Maggie rejoin him in her bed, but she only smiled and paused the movie, waiting patiently. John mouthed, _it’s John_ , to which she nodded at and continued to smile. 

John had said something about his day being better since he was talking to Greene, which made Greene’s heart ache. He missed his best friend, but he was going to see him. Greene replied with a light hearted joke, talking about how John was disturbing his time with his girlfriend, which earned him a light kick by Maggie. Greene immediately regretted saying it though, because he almost heard his friend’s voice drop by hearing that. So Greene corrected himself. “Not that talking to you isn’t great, it is. You’re like my brother, but is something wrong?” Greene heard John clear his throat. 

“No, it’s fine, you’re busy with Angie.” That got Greene to smile.

“I’m not busy with Angie, I’m busy with Maggie,” Greene replied smugly. “It’s a’ight, she doesn’t take it personally. I won’t expect you to pay attention to girls, that ain’t your thing.” John was openly gay, and White was proud of him. He didn’t have to hide his sexuality. 

John apologized again for forgetting Maggie’s name. Greene covered his phone a little and leaned over to his girlfriend. “John said he’s sorry for forgetting your name for the tenth time,” he teased, which got his girlfriend to smile and laugh. 

“Tell him it’s fine, but I’ll get him back,” she said warmly. Then her eyes lit up. “Maybe I can finally meet him when he visits.” Greene also lit up. He told the idea to John, saying how he could visit when his summer vacation was over. Greene’s school started a few weeks before John’s, but they got out a lot sooner. It was messed up, so they never really had a good time to meet up, but it was easier for John to come over during his own vacation. 

Then John said something that made his heart stop. John explained how his father wouldn’t let him visit this year, and how sorry he was. Greene didn’t know why it was such a big deal, he had other people he could spend the school year with. But… John was his best friend. He was John. Greene shuffled his phone around a little. “It’s alright,” he said when John asked if he was still there. “I know how your dad is…” Henry Laurens wasn’t a good parent. But no one cared about that. They just cared for politics. If Greene was with John, he would care. He would stop John’s father. He would save him. “It’s just I haven’t seen you in a year, and y’all what keeps me sane sometimes.” Greene was holding in the tears, and it was hard to keep the waver out of his voice. He knew Maggie was staring at him with worried eyes, but he brushed her off and stared at the floor. 

“I’m really sorry, Nathan,” John tried. Greene didn’t hear what he said after that, he couldn’t hear. He wouldn’t be able to see his friend. Why the fuck was he so worked over over this? He was such a baby sometimes. Next thing he knew he had hung up on the call and his arm was over his girlfriend’s shoulders again. 

“Are you okay, Nathan?” Maggie had asked him. 

“Of course,” he had replied. Everything was fine. Everything was always fine with Nathanael Greene. He had the best life. He had the best girlfriend with whom he was cheating on. He was depressed. His parents were never home. He was cheating on his girlfriend with his gay friend. He wouldn’t be able to see his best friend at all… 

Everything was absolutely fine. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh... yeah. I didn't exactly expect to have Greene be cheating on his girlfriend, especially with his gay friend, but hey, anything can happen. 
> 
> Also, uh, if the South Carolina schools starting earlier than the ones in New York part seems a bit off--no, that's not me trying to slither in a fact that I know. That is me being a bad writer not following my own story line, so it is a writer trying to fix their mistakes without having to redo any writing. Yes. That's me. 
> 
> (tags have been updated and will continue to be updated as the story progresses...)
> 
> LETS GET HYPED FOR THE HAMILTON MOVIE!

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Comments and suggestions are always welcome.


End file.
